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Women and energy policies

Policies and schemes that support the energy access and availability to women are explained in this section.

Contents

Changes in the availability of energy, due to policy interventions, have different impacts on men and women. Therefore, gender needs to be taken into account when developing energy policy. The following section explains some of the gender sensitive energy reforms in India.

Gender sensitive energy programmes

As per Vision-2015 formulated by the Government the target is to raise the Country’s LPG population coverage from 50% to 75%, which includes rural area also. The aim of Vision document is to expand the coverage of LPG for cooking purposes in rural/un-served areas to improve the quality of life. Delhi has been declared first kerosene free State effective October, 2013.

Rajiv Gandhi Gramin LPG Vitrak (RGGLV)

“Rajiv Gandhi Gramin LPG Vitrak (RGGLV)” is a scheme that aims at setting up small size LPG distribution agencies in order to increase rural penetration and to cover remote as well as low potential areas for all the locations having potential of 600 refill sales per month. Under this scheme, all agencies will be in the joint name of husband and wife. In case of applicants who are single, an undertaking will be obtained that after marriage, ‘Spouse’ will automatically deem to become ‘partner’. This will be a step towards empowerment of rural women folk.

National Biomass Cook Stoves Programme

In the context of concerns over health, climate change and energy security, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy started a Special Project on Cookstove (SPC) during 2009-10. Biomass cookstoves have the potential to directly address health concerns and welfare concerns of the weakest and most vulnerable sections of society. The cleaner combustion in these devices will also greatly reduce greenhouse pollutants.

A pilot scale project to demonstrate 15,000 family sized/portable cookstove was taken up during 2011-12, 9000 of these have been deployed. The projects are being implemented by three implementing agencies in different states. The financial assistance for the project has been restricted upto 50% of the cost of biomass cookstoves with maximum support of Rs.300/- for natural draft cookstove and Rs.700/-for forced draft type cookstove. In addition, 15% of the support on each cookstove is provided as technical assistance and overhead charges to implementing agencies. The pilot scale project is being implemented through experienced NGOs, Self Help Group, manufacturers or entrepreneurs having sufficient experience at grassroots level for implementation of renewable energy projects.

Central Financial Assistance for Solar Cookers

Under the Off-grid and Decentralized Solar Applications Scheme of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM), the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy provides central financial assistance (CFA) for solar cookers. Central financial assistance of Rs 3600 per sq. m. of collector area for direct heating applications and Rs 2100 per sq. m. for concentrator with manual tracking for cooking applications is being provided to the users. The programme is being implemented throughout the country including rural areas.

Source : Portal Content Team

Related Resources

There is lot of importance and need to encourage Solar and other non-renewable energy resources in India. These are very useful to the housewives/homemakers in reducing their waiting times for power supply and no need to collect firewood and through this their health also will protected and that time also diverted to another purposeful works.

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